Ludhiana: Awareness campaign against child marriage

Ludhiana: According to the guidelines of the Punjab Social Security and Women and Child Development Department, a special campaign to prevent child marriage was launched on November 27 and will conclude on March 8. Under the leadership of District Child Protection Officer Rashmi, this campaign involved raising awareness among school children at Shri Balaji Prem Ashram, Khandur village, Rurka village, New Dana Mandi, Model Town, and Government High School, Field Ganj, Kheri-Jhameri, about the issue. Rashmi explained that the legal age for marriage is 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys.
She stated that if any family is caught arranging the marriage of underage children, they will be fined Rs 1 lakh, and the family members will face two years of imprisonment. Action will also be taken against other individuals involved in the marriage, such as marriage palace owners, tent house operators, priests, Anand Karaj officiants, printing presses, bands, and decorators. She further added that, as per the instructions of the district administration, anyone providing services related to a marriage must verify the age of the boy and girl getting married. Other officials present on the occasion included Varinder Singh, Ritu Sood, Sanjana Kumari, Kirandeep Kaur, and Prabhjot Kaur.